English Origins

Source is Wikipedia.

English is one of several hundred extant and extinct languages belonging to the Indo-European language family. It evolved from a Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) that may have begun around 3700 BC somewhere around the Black Sea, although the archeological, genetic, and linguistic evidence is inconclusive. A proto-germanic language evolved from PIE that spread across northern Europe by means of migrations around 500 BC. (Note: These proto-languages are based on language reconstructions, since textual evidence is nonexistent.) Three germanic languages, East, North, and West, evolved from proto-germanic around the 2nd century AD.

From around the year 200 AD, speakers of the North Germanic branch became distinguishable from the other Germanic language speakers based on runic inscriptions. This branch then evolved into the Scandinavian languages: Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian. The East Germanic branch of languages included Gothic, the language of the Goths, for which texts exist from the 4th century AD, the Vandals, Burgundians, and others. This branch is extinct.

The West Germanic branch is composed of three sub-branches: (1) North Sea Germanic, ancestor to Anglo-Frisian and Low German, (2) Weser-Rhine Germanic, ancestor to Low Franconian, and (3) Elbe Germanic, ancestor to High German. Anglo-Frisian in turn evolved into Old Frisian and Old English. Another word for Old English is Anglo-Saxon, from the language of the Angles, Saxons, Frisii, and Jutes who overran much of England in the 5th century. Cędmon's Hymn (658 to 680) and Beowulf (8th to 11th centuries) are written in Old English. It lasted until some time after the 1066 Norman conquest of England. Old English was heavily influenced by Old Norse from Norsemen (Dane) invasions, Latin (used by scholars and diplomats), and Old Norman via the Norman Conquest. West Saxon (Beowulf), primarily spoken in Wessex in Southwest England was one of four dialects of Old English, the others being Kentish, Mercian and Northumbrian. West Saxon became Middle English (12th to 15th century, Chaucer), Early Modern English (ca. 1480 to 1650, Shakespeare) and finally Modern English (after 1650).